Valve for pneumatics of mechanical musical instruments.



. H. W. STOWB. VALVE FOR PNBUMATIGS 0F MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED DGT. 27. 191()A Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

:EPI dnl A w m and similar mechanisms; the object being .T0-azz wm a may maar "En -sTATEsf PATENT oFFiCE.

, nomen w.' strewn, oF MERiDEN, Cc'iNNiizCTICUT.t

vLLvE roza PNEUMATICS or MECHANICAL MUsICALv-INSTRMENTS.

h Beit'lmown that I, HoRACnWSmwE, a' citizen'of the4 United States, residing at Meriden, infthe county of New Haven and' State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new- .and useful Im roved Valvefor Pneumatics of. Mechanica Musical Instruments, of which the following is a' specification, referencel being ade therein to the accompanying drawings.v .v

My present invention relates to a -novel construction :and .ct'imbination of the valve,

Iand valve-stem, Viii that class of valves or r puppets employed inpneumatic actions for auto-pneumatic music-playing instruments to provide a simple and` eicient valve ccn struction, wherein the valves and valve- `stems ca'iibe conveniently formed and assembled; lthe valve-disks accurately supported and in a manner to affordy yielding -elasticity or iiexibility at the connecting formity'of the valvesurface to the plane of the valve s eat when in use. Also to pro-l vide a valve, or valve-puppet for, the purpose' specified, comprising a circumferentially 'grooved' stem', and a. valve-disk, or'4 disks, retained thereon by the elastic constriction of a flexible elastic ply or member of the'V valve-disk --engaging within the groove in the valve-stem, as more fully hereinafter explained. I attain these ob# jects by the construction and means illus 'trated in the drawings, whereiny.

playing mstrumeiit. Fig. 2 is'a Vseparate view of the valve-stem. Fig., 3' represents a. part side, part sectional'view, on aseme- 'what enlargedscale, showing the details of the valve'and valve-stem construction. Fig., 4 is a. face view of the valve-disk, and Fig.

. 5 is a. plan view showing separately the s everal plates orl members of which the va1vedisk is composed.v Y Y In Fig. 1 there are shown-two valve puppets, one in side view and one in section.

TheseA valves' are represented as assembled in the pneumatic action, :together with a sufl icient portion of the action body williits Specification of Letters ivlatent.l f' .'-Patented Dec.265' 191i. f application nica october 27,1910. serial Nt. 589,349.'I i

. Vair channels, valve-seats and pneumatics, to

(illustrate the generalarrangement of the valve mechanism las; combined foi'. use.

'. O f thewelllmown parts shown, A'indicates the valve-seat board having .the windways and valve pockeftstherein,andvprovided with upper 'and lower valve-seats 1 and 2, asfheretofore employed.4

., B denotes the bed of primaryorvalve actuating'pneumaticsy C they exhaustair A chamber; D the free air chamber and E the location of the playerfpnei'imatics; lwhich parts may be as in anyforin ofinstrument of this class; the. `subject of my inventionv being the novelv Structure pertaining to the valve or valve-puppet. .Y

,According to my; invention theyalve-stem or spindle' 3 is made of wireand iaround said wire, atthe position wrher'efthe valvedisk-4 is to be.llocated, I -form a circumferential groove 5 by turning'zout a portion of the meta-1,1 or .preferably by rolling' out or upsetting the' metal ina manner to create a protuberant ring or collar 6 .around'the stein adjacent to .the groove, but..on one edge thereof only, that being'the edge of the groove which comes at the back of the i valvedisk, orwbetweentheiipper aiid lower grooves, as in Fig, y2.' In any instance delsired thegroove inay be simply cut into the 'surface of the wire, the collar for. enlargement 6 being omitted,.since. in practice either form can befadvaiitageouslyem- `ployed. The edges or 'annular-shoulders of the groove are best slightly beveled or rounded outwa.rd, le'avi n v the bottom of the groove somewhat narrower'vthan its open outer portion. 'f (Seel Fig. 3.) `,The wire stem isthreaded at'one end tforlscrewing Athereon vthe button bl that rests upongthe diaphragm ofthe valveictuating pneumatic P,.as indicated in Fig. .1.Q v v y. y

.The complete valve-disk 4f is composed of 'a number of united disk-nw'xnbers or 1 plies, l

preferably such asaresje'mnately shown 'in Fig. 5,' and including a stilibacking .mem-

bei` 7 of ,vulcanized ilieror equivalent stilimaterial; Na ,valvefaf'edisk or .member 8 of soft sheopvleatliegigsuolias vknown :1s-organ leather, or`o'ntactiiig' withjythe valve-seat; an attaching. disk-memberor ply 10, of comparatively thinvfiexiblc elastic skin, such as calf-skin or similarf'yieldable fabric and a thin outer di'sk-member- 12 of stiff material preferably aluminum metal; the diameter thereof being approximately the same, or slightly less than that of the member 1Q, which latter is made somewhat less than .the diameter of the opening in the valve-seat. The central openings 13 of the disk-members, excepting that of the skin member 10, areuof. greater dimension than the diameterof the stem 3. The central opening x15 through the member 10 is made, as a mere perforation of less diameter than the stem, or not greater than the diameter of the small neck ofthe stem at the bottom ofthe roove 5. The set of disk-members are assembled in the order shown and secured together by pins 11 iii'serted therethrough and clenched, or by any equivalent fastening means. The adjacent surfaces of the soft valve-face member 8 and the attaching skin member 10 are in the same "plane 14 with the seating face of the.valve, which is the annular surface of the member 8 surrounding the periphery of the member 10.

The valve disk is assembled upon thev stem by passing the end of the .stemv through the perforation 15 in the flexible skin ply4 10, which stretches sufficiently therefor, then sliding the same into the groov'e Where the elastic closure or constriction of the skin member causes it to hug into the groove and around the neck of the stem forming a nonleakage ,elastic attaching joint and thereby supporting the valve-disk 4 securely in lace upon the stem, but. in a manner that a ords a degree of `flexibility or lateral tilt (see dotted lines Fig. 3) forl the valve disk; so

that it ca n readily adjust itself to the plane,

of the valve-seat whatever deviation there may be between said plane and the perpendicularty of the valve-stem. Thismode of supporting and securing the valve-disk upon its stem is simple and inexpensive; permits of the valves being readily removed and replaced on the stein; avoids rigidity in -the' action, and insures accuracy in construct-ion and assembling; since the space between the two grooves on the stem always regulates the distance between the valving-contact faces of the two valves irrespective of any and all variations in the thickness of the 'valve-disks, or of the disk-members of which said valvedisks are composed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--l -1 1. A valve o'f the class described, comprising a Valve-diskhaving a seating face, and

rovided with a ply of elastic material having a central perforation therein of less diameter than the valve stem; in combination with a valve-stem having a circumferential groove formed therein, said valve stem extending through the valve disk, said valvedisk flexibly supported upon said stem by the constriction of the elastic ply withn said groove.

2. A valve-device for the purpose specifiedrcomprising acircumferentially grooved i valve-disk with its face approximately in alinement with one'edge of thegroove.

3. In a pneumatically actuated valve of the class specified, the Wire valve-stem provided with a circumferential groove and a protuberant enlargement of the wire adjacent to one edge ofI the groove; in combination with a valvedisk comprising .an `an nular back-plateand face member and provided adjacent to its face with a flexible attaching member of elastic material having a central perforation of less diameter than the body of the-wire stem, said attaching member elastically embracing the neck within the groove of said stein, the enlargement of the stem being at the back of the valve attaching memberw 4. A pneumatic-action valve of the character described, composed of the stiff annular-plate' backing member, Ia valve-face member of soft sheep-leather 'supported against saidv backingf member, an .'a'nnular nonflexible front-plate, and an interposed attaching member of thin elastic skin having a central perforation therein of less diameter than the ungrooved part of the stem, said front-plate and attaching-member being of less diameter than the valve-face and arranged thereon Within the concentric exposed Aannular valve-face area, means connecting said members together as a unitary valve-disk, and .a .Wire stem extending through said'valve-disk, said stem being circumferentially grooved or shouldered and said valve-disk confined thereon by elastic constriction of the perforated attaching member Within the groove of the stem; in combination with a valve-seat having an opening oflarger diameter than said frontplate, and guides for said valve-stem above and below the valve. I

5. A valve-puppet for the purpose described, comprising a Wire stem having a plurality of circumferential grooves formed therein respectively at positions approximately coincident with the spacing required betweenA the faces'of the valves, a pair of oppositely facing valves mounted on Vsaid stem, each valve composed of united disk members including a ply or member of elastic material having a central perforation therethrough of less diameter than the wire stem, said ply or member disposed adjacent tothe contact-face of the valve, said valves being flexibly supported upon the Wire stem by the central perforated portionv of their semi-elastic members closely embracing the stem within the respective grooves, and retained therein by the elastic `constriction of said perforation..

6. In a pneumatic music-playing instrument, incombination with the valve-seat board, provided with upper and lower valveseats, air passages, valve-stem guides, and the valve-actuating pneumatic, a valvepuppet comprising a wire stein provided with upper and lower. (circumferential ooves, and having protuberant circumfer- ,ential rings or enlargements formed thereon between and adjacent to the respective grooves, anda'lpair of' oppositely facing valve-disks, each composed of stiff annular outer members, a soft contacting member, and an interposed semi-elastic skin member secured between said outer members, and having a small central hole therethrough of -less diameter than the stem, said valve-disks being detachably connected with the stem by the elastic skin members constrictively engaging within the respective grooves of the stem, the enlarged portions of the stem being at the back of the engaging members and supporting the same in opposition to pressure on the valve-seats.

' Witness my hand this 25th day of October,

HonAon w. sTowE. 

